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Gunner Certification
So what are Gunners? Gunners are trained in the ability to lay suppressive fire and asset destruction through the use of high-volume light machine guns, squad automatic weapons (SAWs) and general-purpose machine guns. They are additionally trained as assistant gunners and are familiar with belt linking, barrel swaps, and heat mitigation. Now, how do we go about doing this? You will find that a job as simple as being a machine gunner can in fact bring forth quite a few complexities, like any specialized role, it has its nuances--''and flaws. Two of the largest inconveniences you will face is '''the weight of your ammo' and weapon overheating. Ammo Weight & Magazine Choice Lets start with ammo and weight conservation. As you know, we have a strict 40 kilogram and under policy so as to keep our efficiency during operations at peak. "Well what does that mean for me as a gunner?" ''You might ask. There are multiple ways of breaking up your ammo pool, but the most important of all is kicking all the non-essentials and carrying as much ammo as possible on your person. This means breaking down the weight of your plate-carrier, the weight of your backpack while empty--even bringing a lighter weight sidearm or changing your ''magazine type. '''Yes,' even your magazine type.'' Specifically "hard-pack magazines". It all effects your overall weight value, and the lighter you are, the more ammo you can carry on your person and be as independent as possible. Being independent is a good thing, but having squad mates on and ready to assist is even better. On that note, you will be left with two other alternatives. Breaking up your ammo within your four man team, and loading any surplus ammunition into any surrounding vehicles that you will be bringing with you onto your missions. Use your assets. If you have access to a vehicle as a gunner, your first motion should be to load it with as much ammunition you are granted. Additionally, any gunner should carry a healthy mix of "Tracer" magazines, or at least a few boxes of ammo that have the "mixed" configuration. Tracers serve the entire squad well as it allows you to coordinate the rest of your guns onto target for your team, and allow your team to find exactly where the enemy is. Just keep in mind, tracers work both ways. '' Most importantly, being able to ''link belts as a machine gunner or assistant machine gunner, will allow you to keep your gunner constantly sending rounds down range. You may perform this action by getting close to your gunner and pressing your ace interaction key and selecting "link belt". To gather an approximation of the amount of rounds you currently have left in your magazine, simply press CTRL + R, and an estimation of that magazine will appear in the top left of your screen. In emergency situations, should you find yourself black on ammo, weapons systems such as the M249 SAW may feed 5.56 STANAGs to keep your weapon up, and in the fight. As previously stated, magazine choice is an important selection for you to make upon the choices that are provided for you both in our mod pack, and in the vanilla Arma 3 content. Some ammo types to note below are listed. * M855(Mixed) -''' SS109/M855 NATO ball can penetrate up to 3 mm (0.12 in) of steel at 600 meters. "Mixed" stands for 'tracer mix'. * 'M855A1 - '''A lead-free 62 grain (4.0 g) projectile with a solid copper core, and is tailored for use in rifles with shorter barrels. * '''M200(''Blank) - '''These are 'blanks'. '''NEVER take these rounds into an operation. They have no projectile, and are only designed for training use. Weapon Overheating Onto weapon heating. The rate at which your barrel temperature heats is all dependent on both the rate at which you fire, and the caliber of the weapon you are firing. The larger up you go in caliber, the faster the weapon overheats. This is why its extremely important to bring a Spare Barrel with your gunner loadout. Having the option to change your barrel is a crucial tool that every operator of a machine gun should have access to. To change your barrel yourself, you may press your self interaction key and select "Swap Barrel". To check your barrel(s) temperature, self interact, and select "check weapon temperature/check spare barrel's temperature". It is always best to change your barrel''' when your temperature gauge enters the yellow zone. This is when you will likely begin to experience '''weapon jams. If you are to ever encounter a weapon jam, you may clear it by pressing SHIFT + R. Tips & Tricks of The Assistant Gunner Trade * "Assistant Gunners" can change barrels, check weapon temperatures, and check round counts faster than the Gunner can himself. The assistant gunner naturally performs all of these actions at a faster rate as he is not the individual focusing solely on shooting. * A well timed Assistant Gunner can in fact time his barrel swap perfectly with his Gunner's magazine change. Timing it just right will allow the Assistant Gunner to slot in a cool or "cold" barrel and if done correctly, both the Gunner's weapon will be locked, loaded, and with a fresh barrel. Certification Grade All operators attending the certification will be expected to engage and suppress five random targets with accurate area fire at engagements distances of 800 meters and below. Shooters will also be graded on the speed and technical knowledge at which they will '''change barrels, link belts, clear jams, and maintain barrel temperature '''throughout the certification process.Category:Academy